Possible silly questions about living in Phoenix?

Possible silly questions about living in Phoenix?

Question by alli_potts: Possible silly questions about living in Phoenix? I am considering a move to Arizona in a few months, but had a few questions for those who live there.

Silly Question 1) Since it is very hot, a friend told me that although I would be saving money on rent, I would be paying hundreds of dollars more on air conditioning. Now this person is my boss and she is trying to talk me out of moving, so I don’t know if she is trying to scare me, but does it really cost so much for air conditioning? I am planning on a one bedroom apartment. Right now I pay between $ 90-120 for utilities. Can anyone advise me if I will ‘really’ be paying so much more if I move to the Phoenix area.

7 Comments

Curious One March 16, 2013 at 8:09 am

I pay a 100 a month for my electric but there are two utility companies here so it depends on which area you move to as to what rates you will pay I have no idea about the advertising job market, I’m in sales Do not move to Mesa or Apache Junction, Chandler can be expensive depending on the area, Tempe is a fun town Commute just depends on where you live, I live 45 miles from where I work and my commute ranges from 45 mins – 2 hrs depending on how many wrecks there are and which freeway I take and the time of the day

catthecook March 16, 2013 at 8:42 am

I am a realtor. I cannot answer questions regarding jobs, but as for electricity its going to cost more in summer than in winter, but it averages out to $ 100 per month. and I have a 3bd 2ba home. Anyway, there are some one bedroom apts that I am sure would be considerably less. I cannot comment on quiet and safe, but remember, crime does not have an address. Look on the cities websites for crime statistics. If you are looking to move here I can help you find a rental and answer questions regarding the Phoenix Metro area.

norcalirish March 16, 2013 at 9:07 am

1. When I moved to New Mexico (always 5 degrees cooler than Phoenix!) I heard the same things like ‘I have a house and A/C costs me $ 100/month, so an apartment would definitely cost YOU less.’ Yeah right. My A/C was always around $ 100.

2. You’ve got the questions out of order, the job should be question #1. Hope you have that angle covered some other way. (Perhaps your boss has your best interest in mind?)

3. Personal preference. Look around. You’ll know it when you see it.

4. Nowhere near as bad as anyplace you could reasonably be moving from…

Good luck! Hope this helps!

Sylvia M March 16, 2013 at 9:14 am

Yes, ac is expensive but heat is cheap! We have Salt River Project (SRP) and heat/cool our 1700 sq ft house for $ 100/month on the equalizer plan (pay the same year round). When we lived in a two bedroom apartment, we paid around $ 50/month in the hottest parts of the summer. It all depends on how low/high you keep the thermostat though. Most winters, we don’t even turn on the heat! One way you can find out what you are getting into is get a specific address (apartment complex you are looking into with an apt #, for example) and call the utility company for a high/low. They will tell you what the highest and lowest bill was in the last 12 months. The two are SRP and APS (Arizona Power Service?).

Phoenix is pretty huge and getting bigger. There are plenty of good neighborhoods in Phoenix proper (where we live) or in a suberb. Traffic is pretty heavy though so I suggest finding a job first then looking for a place nearby. Public transit is not so great and most people drive everywhere. There is A LOT of traffic coming in from Chandler (east), Mesa (east), Surprise (west) area (this is the I-10, loop 202, loop 101). I drove 20 miles to work for two years (worked in Scottsdale) and it took me 45 minutes each way.

I suggest looking into Peoria or just north/central Phoenix. The city is big enough that you can’t just go by a city name to be guarenteed “quiet and safe”. Check the crime rate in the area, see if the manager of the apartment lives on site or if you can talk to a tenant for a reference.

tinaro82 March 16, 2013 at 10:11 am

hi. iv lived in phoenix for almost 10 years. i love it here. yes its crazy hot during the summer. it could get up to 120 degrees. but thats a record score. about the a/c. i live in a one bedroom apartment and pay my utilities through APS. that includes the a/c and electricity. i pay between 50 and 60 dollars a month. i live in north phoenix. apartments are not that expensive. mine is 625 per month. you shouldnt worry about the a/c being too expensive. you can always cut down on using too much. i shut off my a/c when i go to work and i keep the blinds closed. so when i get home its not as hot as it would be with the blinds open. have fun in phoenix. drink lots of water.

crazy_cat_lady March 16, 2013 at 11:04 am

You don’t say where you are moving from. If you are moving from southern California, your cost of living will be much less. If you live in a cold climate, consider that you will have little or no heating bill during the winter months. Also, the water is relatively cheap here.

Some parts of Chandler are very nice, as well as Gilbert, south Tempe or the area west of I-10 and south of South Mountain Park. The far north and northwest suburbs are newer and nice also.

Rush hour is pretty bad. Live on the same side of town where you work if possible. Some people who work downtown like the Park & Ride system, where you park your car in a lot in your neighborhood and take an express bus into downtown. These busses can use the carpool lanes on the freeway so they get there pretty fast.

Sorry, I don’t know much about your job field, but judging from my mailbox direct mail advertising is alive and well in Phoenix.

terose1 March 16, 2013 at 11:15 am

I live in Phoenix in a 2 bedroom house with vaulted ceilings that go up to 16 feet at their highest. Listed below are my APS electric bills for 2005. You can choose your rate. My rate is the one that you get charged less for power you use during off peak. Also they will adverage your monthly bill so you get charged the same every month if you want. January $ 119.49 February $ 86.61 March $ 66.99 April $ 82.03 May $ 112.68 June $ 165.87 July $ 230.38 August $ 220.30 September $ 186.93 October $ 93.91 November $ 90.46 December $ 129.88

I have an all electric house with no gas. The heating/cooling system is an electric heat pump and an electric water heater. As you can see the bills are high for 3 months but pretty low the rest of the year. Phoenix is the Largest City in Arizona and the 5th largest city in the United States. Other Citys that surround Phoenix are Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Tempe. Like any major city Phoenix freeways have way too much traffic during rush hour but you can get around pretty quickly at other times. Some of the Major Employers in the Phoenix Area are Honeywell, US AirWays, Intel and Motorola.